The hearts of your children are like soil in a garden....Part 1

                

 

                                                 The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:3-23

"1  The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.
2  And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.
3  And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow:
4  And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:
5  Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:
6  And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.
7  And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:
8  But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, and some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, somethirtyfold."

 

 

                          Over the next month of so  I will be blogging about The Parable of the Sower and how the heart of your children are like soil in a garden.  I will dive into this verse and apply it to our children.

 

Every year we plant a garden, its not the biggest or greatest but its enough for our family of 7. Every year we spend a vast amount of time cultivating the soil.

 

We attest our soil to see the quality of it, and test the PH levels to determine what it needs, then we add organic compost material to it,  this is to ensure it is receiving the best nutrition possible, for we have learned the hard way that if you don't prepare the soil then you can not expect a bountiful harvest.

 

The seeds you plant will only grow if the soil in which it was planted in has been cultivated, tilled, and worked.

 

Yes, this process is tedious and the hardest. But, it is very, very, crucial in order to yield a good harvest.

 

 

Our children's souls/hearts/minds are like that of soil in a garden.

 

We are like that of a gardener a farmer a sower planting seeds in their hearts/minds/souls.

One day harvest time will come.

Every farmer/gardener and sower will tell you that the key to a good harvest is the soil. The right soil will produce the right harvest.

It is the job of the farmer/gardener/sower to care for soil that he or she is planting in.

 

As a parent we must cultivate, till, prepare the soil of their hearts/mind/souls.

 

If we want a bountiful harvest in them we must take the time to nurture the soil of their hearts/minds/souls.

 

Taking time to pour good into them, take time to add nutrition and value to their minds their hearts 

 

We must daily  and constantly be  adding to the soil because one day a garden will grow.

 

We must test the soil of their minds/hearts/souls to see where it lacks substance so that we can

make the necessary changes to ensure that they are getting what they need to thrive.

 

How can we cultivate the soil of their minds/hearts/souls?

 

5 Ways to Cultivate the soil of the minds/hearts/souls of your children

 

 

1)Guard what they hear

The hears are what send messages to the mind. The things they hear will become thoughts they think. What do our children hear from us? How do they hear us talk about them? How do they hear us speak towards them/tone? What do they hear when we aren't around? Do we guard what messages they listen to via. internet/T.V/Sunday School/School/Family/Friends/Etc.?

 

2)Guard what they see

The eyes are windows to the soul. The things the see, penetrate into the mind what they see they act. What do our children see us doing with our time? Our finances? Our relationships? Our spirituality? Our talents? Our gifts? The way we treat people and treat our spouses?

Do we guard their eyes or do we let them watch every show on T.V and see every latest movie? Do

 

3)Guard what is spoken by them

The tongue is a small member of the body but it can not be tamed

How do our children speak? Do they speak words that edify or tear down? Do our children joke wrongly? Do they mock/scoff and laugh at righteousness and our authority? Are they thankful?

Do we guard what words they say and how they say it? Do we guard how other people speak to them?

 

4)Guard their deed

A action becomes a habit a habit becomes a lifestyle a lifestyle makes a person

Are the actions and behaviors of our children important to us? Do we guard behaviors/actions that we see them displaying? Do we encourage good behavior or do we feel like we are being to "religious" to encourage morality in them? Do we guard morality in their behaviors? Do we guard what influences of behavior we allow our children to encounter? Do we guard what company they keep?

 

5)Guarding a thankful spirit

Do we encourage and instill thankfulness in everything ? Are our children thankful? Do we help them be thankful by pointing out there is much to be thankful for? Do we guard a thankful spirit? Are we constantly pointing out the blessings?

 

 

 

 

Think of these 5 things as soil building materials essential for a garden.
 

Take each one of these materials and apply them daily

Let me know how it goes

 I'd love to hear from you

 

Marriage Monday Polish your Marriage

On this Marriage Monday May we all treat our marriage differently than all other relationships.

Marriage Monday Speak kind of your husband.

                                              All Marriages thrive on one little word called

While this little word is merely 7 letters long, it makes a huge difference in your marriage. Have you ever noticed that the command given to wives in scripture is for us to respect our husbands? Not, that women don't need respect from their husbands too, but God gives us wives the command to respect our husbands to revere them.

So what is respect? If we are going to succeed in it and give it, we must first know what it is.
Respect defined by Websters Dictinonary is:

: a feeling of admiring someone or something that is good, valuable, important, etc.
: a feeling or understanding that someone or something is important, serious, etc., and should be treated in an appropriate way

: a particular way of thinking about or looking at something

It can also be defined as:

 

:  a relation or reference to a particular thing or situation <remarks having respect to an earlier plan>

:  an act of giving particular attention :  consideration

a :  high or special regard :  esteem

b :  the quality or state of being esteemed

c plural :  expressions of high or special regard or deference <paid our respects>

 

 

One way we as wives ca show respect to our husbands is by the way we speak about them to others.

So often I hear and read women posting things on Facebook about their spouse. Often, it is not good. Some women jokingly put their spouse down and use cutting remarks when they talk about their husband. It always makes me uncomfortable.

 

Regardless of the kind of husband you have you are commanded in scripture to respect him. By that I mean you are to respect the position he holds as your husband and leader, now it doesn't mean you have to approve, like and even encourage his sinful behavior if in fact he is is being sinful scripture shows us how women are to react when their husband is ungodly, we are told in 1 Peter 3 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives;  While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear.

So be kind in the way you speak and have conversations about your husband for your children hear every word you speak about your husband and repeat your words. Honor your husband in your speach. 

 

 There is always something nice, kind, and praise worthy we can find about our husbands if we are only willing to look for it and not grow bitter. Unthankfulness causes bitterness, be thankful and show it in your words.

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Phil 4:8

Thankful Thursday Take time

                     
                           Its been one week since the passing of my Husbands Grandmother.

                                          Time seems to go by so quickly. 

               Seconds turn into minutes, minutes turn into hours, hours turn into days, days to weeks,   weeks to months and months to years.






I am thankful that God has given to us the gift of time, the time to  create memories.

So today take your time...

take time to smile
take time to laugh and giggle with your children
take time to sit and talk with them
take time to play

take time to cuddle with your spouse
time to pray and listen to his heart
time to hold him in your arms 
time to kiss
time to mold into his chest

time to remember friends afar sending a quick note of thankfulness
time to think about family you love and memories shared
time to call and let them know your thinking of them
time to encourage someone today

 time to go outside and look up at the sky
time to feel the breeze in your hair
the sun shine upon your face
time to watch the sunrise and sunset
time to hear the birds chirp early morning

time to wish the cashier a merry day
time to hold the door open for a stranger
time to tell your neighbor your thankful for them in the form of a baked good
     
take time today and slow down for memories are being built, take time to fill your mind with thankful thoughts and your words with thanksgiving for there is much to be thankful for

Keeping it real Homemaking "Creating a masterpiece"

Homemaking truly is a art that we practice daily we will never be perfect at it and until the day the Lord calls us home we will have created this beautiful canvas.

Homemaking is like that of a blank canvas. Each day you decide what you want to add to it. You decide the color schemes, the theme, and the effects.

God has given to us homemakers so marvelous tools to use to create beautiful masterpieces.

He has given to us His spirit. The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, and self control.

Imagine what a beautiful portrait we can paint when we let our colors be the fruit the spirit.

Let us paint our homes with love ,a love that is so bright and radiant.
Let our brushes stroke to the beat of joy today, let the the canvas we paint  be loud full of joy and laughter
Let the color of peace be evident upon our response, so soft and pastel
Let our gentleness be calming and soothing to others around us that it is relaxing to to eye
Let us display self control that it is evident from afar

Let the work our our hands create beautiful homes that are on display for all to see and want let them see Jesus in all you do, let them see the cross and the grace in which you stand upon. Let the canvas we paint today be a masterpiece unto the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. For he is worthy of all our praise.

Do away with the "Poor me"

Marriage Monday 

Staying in love has everything to do with forgiveness and gratefulness. Without forgiveness you will remain bitter and un-thankful.

Marriage is alot of work.

 There was a time in my marriage when I use to keep track of everything my husband did wrong. 

It was so easy to point out all his faults, shortcomings, and sin.

I had this poor me attitude. 

Poor me, I always have to cook, and clean, take care of the kids, I never get any time for myself.

Poor me, I dont get to go out and work like he does, poor me, poor me I never get a break. Poor me little Cinderella here at home all day long, never get to go to the ball but rather serve serve serve. 

Slave away in my castle, waiting for Prince Charming to come wisk me off my feet. 

Then my husband would come home and he was from Prince Charming. My expectations of him were to come home, and take over all the housework, the caring of the children, and give me the long awaited break Ive been waiting all day long for. 

This unfulfilled expectation filled my heart with bitterness and un-thankfulness. Leading to a home of joylessness. I was unhappy with a poor me attitude, and Id make sure everyone knew how miserable I was. 

Oh, those were dreadful, dreary days for sure. Forgiveness is a guard for your heart from becoming sour, thankfulness is shield against discontentment . 

When we forgive our spouse we free ourselves to love without condition. When we are thankful we shield our hearts and minds from "poor me" attitudes. 

So today on this Marriage Monday Chose to forgive chose to be thankful in your marriage and put away the "poor me" attitude.

You are far more blessed than you realize.

Thankful Thursday: Remembering the life of an Extradoinary homemaker (my husbands Grandmother)

There is always something to be thankful for. Today I am thankful for the life and legacy of my  husbands grandmother. She was the ultimate homemaker. Yesterday she went home to be with Jesus. I know she is more alive than she has ever been, in the presence of her savior and reunited with the love of her life, her husband of her youth.

If I could be half the homemaker she was, I know my family will be truly blessed, and rise up and bless my name as her own grown children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren have.

She poured her life and soul into homemaking. Having been a homemaker for more than half her life, raising 5 grown children, being a grandma to countless grandchildren and great grandchildren, she still always greeted you with a smile, and was always glad to see you. You were always welcomed in her home, and always felt at home.

  There was nothing Grandma wouldn't do for you. It was her nature to take care of those she loved. I watched her love those around her and I know if I could love like that, then I too would leave a great legacy. I watched her presence and quiet spirit  be a source of comfort to those around her.

Her cooking is something that we all will dearly miss. When she would prepare a meal, she did so with such great intention. Always with you in mind. Always willing to cook for you when you visited. Her hands were never to tired to serve the ones she loved.

You could taste the love in every bite. Her potato and green chili rellanos at Christmas time, her macaroni salad with chunks of cheese, and her famous mouth watering deep fried taco's with salsa, always left your taste buds lingering for more, and no matter how hard I tried I could never get mine to taste like hers. Then she would serve you a slice of her yellow cake with her homemade chocolate icing, it was a sweet melt in your mouth delicacy, and the recipe was top secret.I often would try to recreate it, but like every meal grandma served, it was the love she put into it that made it taste so good. That is something that could never be duplicated or recreated.

Her heart was a heart of love and the greatest receiver of her love was her husband who passed away 5 years prior. He was her heart.

It was evident every time she spoke of him or at the mention of his name. She always spoke so sweet of the love her youth, the countless stories she would share of him were like rare jewels hidden deep within the treasures of her heart. When she would share them, you knew you were receiving something very special and valuable. her love for him never left her, and now she is complete having been reunited with the love of her life.

If I could love my husband even half the way she loved hers, I know my heart will be the beneficiary of such honor and my children, grandchildren, great grandchildren will inherit a lifetime of precious memories, as we all have with her.

I am thankful to have been able to witness, and  be apart of such a remarkable woman's life. Sometimes you don't realize what you had until death occurs.

 There is so much I wish we would have done, visited more, called more, etc. But, I will never regret the memories that were given to us, the memories that I have to share with my children and grandchildren that they come from a legacy of homemakers, and their great grandmother was the pillar for such extraordinary work.

It was her home where countless laughs took place, tears flowed, children giggled, babies whined, the place where sisters/brothers, aunts/uncles, cousins and friends gathered, the place where we all felt at home. It was Grandmas house and you always knew you were welcomed, loved, and cherished. You knew that she was always happy to see you.

She embraced her homemaking role with dignity, humility, strength, satisfaction and joy. She willingly worked with her hands to show her love, appreciation for those that entered her home.
It was never an obligation, duty, or burden for her, but rather it was a pleasure to give of herself to those around her, to those she loved.


She gave and gave of herself even up until the last moments of her final breath. I watched her frail, weak, and tired body, give of itself as it always had her whole life, one last time she would give  her smile to her loved ones as she always had,  reaching for the hands of those around her, as if to say here is the last of what I can give you.


 We all received and benefited from all she gave and now we  are left with  memories that fill our hearts, sneak out of our eyes and roll down our cheeks.

Those memories will be passed on for generations to come.

She truly set the example for me, my daughters and grand daughters, and my sons.  As I raise the next generation of homemakers, passing the baton of homemaking to my children we will look back at  Grandmas life as a homemaker and with confidence and pride know that we come from a line of strong homemakers and we too can love and build strong homes as she did. She really did make a difference and  impact the lives of all those that knew her.

She left a legacy of love! A homemaking legacy that we will cherish for a lifetime. Until we meet again on the other side of heaven, enjoy your time of rest Grandma.

The Homemaker and her words

Homemaking is more than just chores!

 As a homemaker we often think of a woman who cleans, cooks, does laundry and raises kids. This is true, however we are doing more than just chores. We are building a legacy, a future generation. WOW! What a calling we have, that must not be taken lightly.



The verse in Proverbs 14:1 comes to mind when I think of the word "homemaker". It says,  "A wise woman builds her home but with her own hands the foolish woman tears hers down."

Building a home truly does require wisdom. I admit, I am not always wise, and fail and thus I need Jesus in every aspect of my homemaking. For the scriptures declare that Jesus is wisdom, and if any of us lack wisdom, God will give it to us liberally. He will not withhold it from us.  What a gracious and generous God we serve.



          One way we as homemakers build our home is in our words. Our words have the power to heal or hurt. They can be gracious or out right mean. They can build up or tear down.

We must take care to speak words that will build, building up our home in love, grace, peace, patience,mercy, 

kindness, gentleness, self-control, faithfulness, thankfulness and joy.




The words we speak can never be taken back, erased, removed or forgotten. They are deep morsels penetrating the soul! Lets be careful on how we build careful to chose each word before it leaves our tongue, careful about our tone.

                                         Our husband and children are people who deserve

  They deserve to live in a home where the words spoken are words that build them up in Jesus                                                                 and in their holy faith.

                     Here are 5 ways to use your words to build up your          husband and children :

1)Praise -  Praise your husband and children for a job well done, for trying, for godly character, for working hard, and for their efforts.(Wow, good job helping your little brother. ) (Honey, you are so good with the children they are blessed to have you as their father.)

2)Thankfulness - Speak words of thanks to your husband and children, tell them often how thankful you are for them and thank them for the things they do. Vocalize thanksgiving throughout the day, (God is so good I am thankful he blessed us today with a sunny day) (Thank you sweetheart for all you do for our family and for providing for us.)

3)Sing - Sing hymns or worship songs or bible verses to your children, its a great wya to memorize scripture and a great way to lift the mood in the home.

4)Speak the word -When you talk to your husband and children quote scripture and speak of heavenly things, talk often of Jesus his life, death and resurrection, and of the goodness of God.

5)WATCH YOUR TONE - Speak in a soft gentle tones even when you are angry, upset, frustrated. Its amazing how a patient and a whisper voice gets your husband and children's attention more than a loud, defiant, demanding voice/tone. Practice a tender sweet soft tone when you talk and correct your children. it really does make a difference.


I realize that these 5 tips are challenging and hard but I also know that the Holy Spirit gives to us the fruit of the Spirit it is him working in and through us. His Spirit builds godly character in us as we live out our faith. He can and will work these things in you. Trust Him for the results, and by his grace walk obediently and faithfully to His call. 

Keepin it real Thursday

Today's blog entry is a response to Amy Glass , "I look Down on Young Women With Husbands and Children and I'm Not Sorry" written  on January 15, 2014.

I realize its been over a month and I'm sure many have responded to her writing.

 Since I am new to the blog world I thought I'd throw my "Keep it real" response.

 Here is my open letter blog response to her:

Dear Ms.Glass,
I want to applaud you for your well written thoughts in regards to young women with husbands and children and how you look down upon them without apology.

I too want to vomit when those that say feminism is about validating every choice a  women makes.


After all, why should we validate a women who walks down the aisle, gets knocked up and spends her days in a house full of toddlers, doing dishes, laundry, scrubbing toilets, sweeping crumbs, washing floors, cleaning hand prints from the walls, washing window smears,picking up toys, ironing, cooking, changing dirty diapers, wiping snot from a preschoolers nose, packing lunches, talking baby talk, teaching ABC's and 123's, singing old McDonald had a farm 50 times a day, reading the same Dr. Suess book over and over again watching Finding Nemo for the thousandth time, scheduling Dr. appointments, running errands, and greeting a man at the end of the day with a smile and a hot cooked meal.

You are right we should not validate this and treat it as some sort of milestone in a women's life, or accomplishment because as you say "they are actually super easy tasks" that anyone can do. Anyone can walk down the aisle and anyone can get knocked up, anyone can stay home and run a dishwasher and washer machine, yes anyone can scrub toilets , wipe snot, cook, clean pack lunches, wash windows and do all the things a stay at home mom does. But, the fact is Ms. Glass not everyone does these things. It truly is reserved for the "house wife", "stay at home mom", and "homemaker".

 Working moms get to experience hints of this work before and after work while their child spends their day in school or childcare. A lot of them pay women like me to do this work for them, while they run off to work supporting themselves, but in fact if it weren't for someone caring for their child/children they wouldn't be able to work and be successful as they would have to be home doing it themselves.


You are right the dominate culture will tell you as a woman that you can have it all and still have a husband and children and I agree with you,  it is a lie.

 When you get married you give yourself away to the other person it is a selfless lifetime commitment you are embarking on, and many give up and end up in divorce, marriage is not for the faint of heart. Likewise, when you get "knocked up" you truly are giving up every part of yourself to this little being who is dependent of you for everything from the time he or she is conceived and until adulthood. It is not easy nor is meant for everyone, truly it is a gift.

So while I agree with you that we should not validate women who chose  to live their lives this way or applaud them when they can be doing anything, because truly laundry will never be as important as being a Doctor.

No, we should not validate these women but rather we should be celebrating these women. Celebrate them for responding to their calling for their willingness to sacrifice and willingness to give up all the "important things" like being a Doctor, Engineer or  building buildings,  because to their husband and children they have all the validity they need.

They are clothed with dignity and strength, they are confident in their job, they have no boss to dictate them yet they run and manage their own homes with pride.

So while we may secretly like to gloat about how hard it is to manage a home and children, we cant expect women like you to understand and frankly we aren't looking for you to understand nor do we look for your validity, praise or celebration for that matter. Stay at home moms and homemakers have more validity, more praise, and a houseful of voices celebrating and cheering them on day after day after day more than any one else.

 Our joy is found in serving those that we love and seeing those we love happy by the work of our hands we enjoy not missing any milestone in the lives of our kids, where as most moms who work miss out on these things.

We love what we do and do what we love. No one is forcing us to be home with our children and love our husbands some of us chose this purposely, some of us embrace being a homemaker and feel proud to stay home even if we just fold laundry and do dishes all day. We know that folding laundry and doing dishes may not be important to women like you you may even look down on us for it, but guess what, the opinions that matter most to us are the little faces we wake to everyday and in the end when we are old we will reap the fruit of our labor when our children and grandchildren rise and bless our name.


Sincerely Homemaking For Real Women

a LITTLE cHANGE GOES a long way

Do you ever feel like Homemaking/Homeschooling is a bit monotony?  I know it can sometimes feel that way for me. I'm sure the children feel the tedious of the days as well.


 Sometimes changing things up a bit around your home can help relieve some of the boredom. Even though we have a schedule/routine it still sometimes feels boring.

 The kids decided to have a little fun and designate each day of the week to something. Maybe your children will enjoy it as much as mine are.

 Monday  are our "double mom buck day"  if you haven't heard of Mom bucks check it out on my friends blog here:http://www.keeperofthehomestead.com/1/post/2014/02/the-mom-bucks-miracle.html EVERYONE loves earning extra $ on this day. 

Tuesday we made it craft/art/drawing day. 

  
Wednesday is wacky day, everyone dresses wacky and has wacky hair


 



Thursday is our music/worship  we learn about different composers, missionaries and pray for them.

 

Friday is funday our outing/outside day either play outdoors, work on the garden or go on a field trip.

                    A little Change goes a long way sometimes

Even a Child is known by his doing

Grocery shopping with kids, as many of you know is always an adventure. You never know exactly what will happen or go wrong.
I often pray before I go into the store that my kids put into action all the training they have been taught. Sometimes they do and well sometimes they don't. When they do well I walk out feeling victorious. Today was one of those days.

You can imagine how proud I was when my oldest son (Humbled by God, as I call him)  began to bag all the groceries of the customer in front of us, he often does this and sometimes people offer to pay him for his hard-work. The cashier who knows us by name (because we visit the same grocery store so often), began telling the customer in front of us how the little boy sacking groceries was always doing this when we come. She spoke so highly of him that it really blessed me.

I often repeat and quote Proverbs 20:11 to my children that they now know it by memory, " Even a child is known by his doing whether his work be pure, and whether it be right  to my kids. " One thing I remind them of is that who they are today is who they will tomorrow, that everything they do today is building their character for the kind of person they will become tomorrow and the next day and the next, and so they must chose wisely. I like to keep it real with them.

My son was so proud when I praised him and pointed out that his work was noticed by the cashier, his smile was big and he knew he was building his character in our community.

Yes, even a child is known by his doing. What a child does he is known by it to others.  The cashier knows my son by his actions, by his serving of others, and hard work.

Thankfulness

Mr. Beloved (my husband) has often said that being thankful works as a shield for your heart, mind, and soul.

Whenever my dear children, Graceful (age 10), Humbled by God (age 8), Adventurous (age 6), and twins Merciful (age 5) and Bold as a Lion (age 5) begin to grumble and complain Mr. Beloved will ask them to name some things things they are thankful for, it always amazes me how quickly that murky attitude turns from sour to sweet in just a matter of seconds. It works for me too.

If there is one thing I want to instill in my children it is to be Thankful. One way I try and do this is to be thankful myself, even for the smallest things. When we arise in the morning and I draw the curtains open to allow the sunshine in, I will say things like, "Wow, I am so Thankful God created the beautiful Sun and telling it to rise every morning, and that it is lighting up our home and warming it. God is so kind to remind us daily that Jesus rose from the grave and provide for our needs."  or when its time to do chores around the house I will smile and say "Im so Thankful we have these dishes to do, God is good to provide running water for us to clean the dishes and make them clean for daddy."

There are no doubt, many things to be thankful for, but the greatest is Jesus and what he has done for us on the cross. I want my children to learn to be thankful for all things in there life, from the smallest blessing to the biggest, knowing the hand that gives it to them is their Father up above. This is just one more way, we are learning in Grace.

What are some ways you teach Thankfulness to your children?

The gift of Grace

Grace often seems to creep upon me like a thief in the night, frankly when I am unaware and or when I am the least expectant.
I've never been a good grace receiver. I either wallow in how undeserving I am, while mildly and cowardly pushing grace away, or I wildly accept it freely and charismatically indulge in it. I'm not sure if that makes any sense whatsoever, but my point is,  The gift of grace is rather peculiar and my response is often unfitting. Indeed I am  learning of Grace.
Its shown to me when I most need it, its revealed to me when Id rather shamefully hide, and it covers/showers me at just the right moments. 

 Today grace corrected me and lead me to the place of sweet quietness of soul and heartfelt joy. The blistering and aching of my selfish pitiful desires were covered and soothed by grace.
Learning that while the Proverbs 31 lurks and pushes at every corner within my very being, it is NOT there in doing, in working, where joy is found, not that working/serving is vanity and should not be done,  but rather when done out of  pitiful desires (desire to be seen  by man, desires to be praised by man, desires to be appreciated by man, desires to be approved by man, for the work and service of work done with my hands) today I learned will only leave you empty with a blistering ache of something more!

This is where grace showed up today, to tell me yet again that my life is not my own, and rather has been laid aside for the joy that comes from the cross at Calvary, the joy that comes from knowing Jesus.

Knowing Him more deeply when I work with my hands, knowing that this body is HIS, for HIS service for HIS use, and if it means wiping pee from behind the toilet for the 5th time today then so be it, if it means that the kitchen table must be wiped for the 10th time then so be it, if it means that sweeping of crumbs are swept yet again for the 100th time then so be it, GRACE SHOWED UP TO TELL ME stop counting the cost in all the serving I do all day, STOP thinking about how much I do and how little those I do it for take notice and or appreciate it (they really are thankful and take notice but when my focus is on self it doesn't see clearly) GRACE SHOWED UP TO TELL ME stop feeling sorry for yourself and stop the poor me attitude.
I HAVE BEEN CALLED TO LAY MY LIFE DOWN BECAUSE JESUS LAID HIS DOWN FOR ME ..... This isnt a work this is GRACE!!!!!


A person of GRACE who lives only for themselves is no person of GRACE but A person of SELF ! Grace is a gift, a gift that is to be given continually by the one who received it!